Sermon
Introduction to The Godhead: Redemption and Revelation of Jesus | Steve Benson
Publisher transcript
Transcript
-
We've been doing a a series on sound
-
doctrine
-
and
-
we have started out
-
chronologically on purpose
-
with God.
-
Think he's the greatest
-
subject. He's more than a subject,
-
but he's the subject of the word of God.
-
That sort of brings up the title of this
-
message. This is the son of God,
-
the Lord Jesus, the son of God, the son
-
of man that he
-
proclaimed to be and obviously is.
-
But this is uh his revelation and
-
redemption.
-
These two things are so important for us
-
to see
-
the purpose. You know, you can get you
-
can get caught up in the miracles. You
-
can get get caught up in the some of the
-
fascinating things about him.
-
And we'll do uh we'll we'll do a message
-
on miracles. They're a very important
-
part of him and his ministry.
-
But you know, you could have been healed
-
been a leper and been healed by him back
-
then, but the leper finally died.
-
So if the benefits of Jesus aren't
-
beyond this life and beyond the grave,
-
then
-
we look for another.
-
But he is the one that brought the
-
revelation from heaven and this plan of
-
redemption for us.
-
Uh open your Bibles if you would to
-
Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians 2 chapter mention
-
There's some areas in the word of God we
-
we need it all.
-
And there are some areas where there are
-
two or three places where something is
-
dealt with. Maybe Jesus taught the
-
apostles and now the apostles are
-
teaching us. There's plenty of those
-
examples. And there's some places where
-
we have a verse or two where you know
-
it's just sort of um you know a very
-
high point
-
for Christians
-
you know and that certainly for
-
Christians is in first Timothy
-
chapter 3 verse 16 where it talks about
-
the mystery of God and the Lord Jesus
-
Christ the plan of redemption and all
-
those things. So, you know, that is sort
-
of the bullseye for us as far as what we
-
should be doing as a church and it's
-
great to study doctrine. I love
-
doctrine.
-
U but we have to do more than study
-
doctrine. We have to study God
-
and that's sort of what we're doing
-
before we get into all the doctrines of
-
the word of God. We are looking at the
-
Lord Jesus. And you know, we've looked
-
in the past at his sinlessness.
-
You know, he was tested by the devil,
-
but he he came through that just fine.
-
And we talked about those things. We had
-
a had a message on on that or two. And
-
today we're going to look at a verse in
-
Philippians that's sort of the high
-
water mark
-
for
-
the humanity of Jesus and and the the
-
deity of Jesus coming together
-
in Philippians
-
chapter 2 verse 5.
-
And a lot is said here about
-
Jesus. This is about as deep as you can
-
go in the Bible about this thing, the
-
subject. And the subject is him.
-
But here we have the son of God and the
-
son of man. And you know when we say the
-
son of God, you know, we we just, you
-
know, our knees should buckle and we
-
should say, you know, the son of God, he
-
is God. He's deity. But when we say the
-
son of man, it should be the same way
-
because, you know, he's equal in both
-
those things.
-
You know, he's not 150% God and 50% man.
-
He's 100% God and 100% man.
-
And that's what the Bible tells us.
-
That's what the Bible presents to us
-
that Jesus is God. If you don't believe
-
that, you're going to you're not going
-
to heaven. You're going someplace else.
-
Because that man who uh said that come
-
to me all you that labor and are heavy
-
laden and I will give you rest. That man
-
is the one that the whole universe has
-
been handed over to
-
from the Godhead. God the Father, God
-
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And we
-
believe in a triune God. My faith rest
-
in a triune God. Father, Son, and Holy
-
Spirit. What the word of God says.
-
That's so important for us, you know, to
-
let God be God. And as we examine his
-
word and we see these things and then we
-
are going to see the necessity of our of
-
our redemption,
-
you know, it's it's uh you know, one
-
thing to look at the doctrines, but if
-
you don't see the need there and the
-
necessity for us to be saved, then
-
you're you're not getting the point of
-
the scripture.
-
So Jesus comes along and he's the
-
revelation of God. And part of that
-
revelation is his redemption
-
for man. And he told us that. We didn't
-
figure that out. You know, Mary was told
-
that from the get-go. And even John the
-
Baptist said, you know, are are you the
-
one or should we look for another? Jesus
-
said, "No, I'm the one."
-
So all of the apostles died for this
-
one. And this one is the one that we
-
have here in the scriptures for us um to
-
study and to look at and to learn from.
-
Jesus is an incredible teacher. The the
-
gospels say never a man spoke like this,
-
you know, and he's still speaking and
-
he's speaking through his word. And we
-
need a lot of help. You know, we our
-
flesh can't please God,
-
you know. So, I had to learn that when I
-
got saved. I'm like, well, okay,
-
what is it in my flesh that I can use
-
now to get to know God? Well, turns out
-
I don't need it any of it. It's only
-
going to cause me problems.
-
So, we got to get our flesh out of the
-
way. We got to get our ideas out of the
-
way. We got to get our our lack of
-
knowing out of the way that God might
-
show us from his word who he is.
-
And here in Philippians chapter 2, you
Philippians 2 chapter mention
-
know, Paul often used Jesus sufferings
-
to help people get through suffering on
-
this earth.
-
So that's why we study the sufferings of
-
Christ because, you know, the you know
-
the the the churches out there that
-
offer entertainment
-
and and other things besides the word of
-
God, that's not going to get you through
-
life. It's not going to get you into
-
heaven.
-
entertainment just sort of falls short.
-
But the word of God just takes us deeper
-
and deeper and deeper and deeper into
-
who God is and what God has done.
-
So we benefit greatly from studying God.
-
We benefit greatly from studying what
-
God says. That's how we know these
-
things. Well, then we we know that we
-
have the this great necessity then
-
of this redemption and of this
-
revelation. You know, the Bible tells
-
us, you know, we're we're sinners. We're
-
all sinners. We all fall short of the
-
glory of God. We're all headed for hell.
-
That's what the Bible says. And that
-
declaration is made over and over and
-
over again. But God says, "That's okay.
-
Give up on saving yourself. Look to me
-
and I will save you." So God has become
-
our savior. God is our redeemer.
-
And that's what the apostles proclaimed.
-
That's why, you know, Jesus went back to
-
heaven and he said, uh, you know, you're
-
going to do greater works than I did and
-
they got out and they got these churches
-
planted. And and we have the New
-
Testament now. And we have verses like
-
this that we're going to look at this
-
morning and Philippians chapter 2 down
Philippians 2 chapter mention
-
here in verse 5. Let this mind be in you
-
which was also in Christ Jesus. So, we
-
don't even need our old fleshly mind to
-
know God. it's going to hinder us. We
-
need to get rid of our old fleshly mind
-
and have the mind of Christ.
-
You know, you say, "Wow, that's quite a
-
gift." Yeah, that's exactly right. That
-
is quite a gift for us that the mind of
-
Christ can dwell in these sinners that
-
we are.
-
And it's the mind that Jesus had.
-
So that's why it's important for us to
-
study Jesus. That's why it's important
-
for us to know, you know, what he said
-
and, you know, what he meant and spend
-
time on these things.
-
And here he's talking about Jesus in
-
verse six, who being in the form of God,
-
thought not robbery to be equal
-
with God, but made himself of no
-
reputation, and took upon him the form
-
of a servant. And he was made in the
-
likeness of men. and being found and fa
-
fashioned as a man he humbled himself
-
became obedient under death even the
-
death of the cross so this is just John
-
3:16
-
you know amplified
-
and that's what Jesus said to to his own
-
apostles his own disciples you know they
-
wanted a kingdom and Jesus said hang on
-
we I got work to do and that work was uh
-
the work of his father.
-
But no angel could have pulled this off.
-
No angel. God couldn't have sent Michael
-
the archangel down here or any of the
-
other ones
-
uh to accomplish redemption.
-
You know, we have to know how sinful sin
-
is and how important the blood of Christ
-
is in order for us to be able to
-
overcome sin down here in our own lives.
-
You know, we have to wonder around
-
wonder, well, am I saved? You know, what
-
else? You know, I did I did all the 99
-
things. What else can I do? Well,
-
there's nothing you can do. It's already
-
been done. And if you still think you're
-
doing something, then you need to cease
-
doing and believe on the Lord Jesus
-
Christ who has accomplished
-
our salvation.
-
That's the necessity of this revelation
-
from him. That's the necessity of this
-
plan of redemption that he gave us. So,
-
you know, why did God become a man? You
-
know, that's a good question to ask.
-
To do miracles,
-
well, a little more than that. Walk on
-
the water, a little more than that. To
-
be a good teacher, a little more than
-
that.
-
You know, all those things are great and
-
they have their place, but if you miss
-
why Jesus came, you're going to miss
-
heaven.
-
If you miss who he is, you're going to
-
miss heaven. If you miss what he's done,
-
you're going to miss heaven. So that's
-
why we study God. That's why we look at
-
the word of God that we just clear our
-
minds out and let God have his way in
-
our own minds to tell us that we're
-
sinners and we need a savior. And he has
-
provided
-
that savior.
-
And that's Jesus. He's the God man. You
-
know, if we had two measuring cups here,
-
start off with an illustration, and we
-
fill this measuring cup up, and we
-
filled this measuring cup up, and this
-
one was the son of God, and this one was
-
the son of man, we'd have to film cur to
-
the brim, right? I mean, Jesus wasn't,
-
you know, less God and more man or more
-
man and less God.
-
No, he it's what this says here. He's
-
100% God and 100% man.
-
And you know, we don't back off that
-
because that's what the word of God says
-
for us here. So when we think of him as
-
the the son of God and the son of man,
-
he is both. And he is both at the same
-
time. You know, he's not like Superman.
-
He got go and change and become
-
something else. No, he he was the God
-
man for 33 and a2 years for us to see
-
from the time he was born in Bethlehem
-
to Mary and to Joseph until he handed uh
-
his mother off to John on the cross and
-
said, "It is finished." Why did he say
-
that? Well, that's important.
-
Say, "Well, he's just, you know, all his
-
suffering's over now. He's just going to
-
die and it's over." That's wrong. He
-
said it is finished because he finished
-
the job that God the Father gave him to
-
do.
-
And that's what verse 9 says. Wherefore
-
God also has highly exalted him and
-
given him a name above every name that
-
at the name of Jesus every knee should
-
bow the things in heaven and the things
-
on the earth. every tongue should
-
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the
-
glory of the father. So I mean this is
-
just this this this doesn't go any
-
higher.
-
Jesus is God. He's not he's not just a
-
man
-
now. He's God. He's God seated in the
-
heavens. And if you look back at versesh
-
7 and 8 that we looked at there uh Paul
-
said he is in the likeness of God and
-
the likeness of man
-
at the same time.
-
So you know that's you know he's equal
-
in both. You know the little
-
illustration 100%
-
and 100% makes 200% in our thinking but
-
that's that's not it. No, he's 200% that
-
that is who he is. He's greater than all
-
of our understanding.
-
And you know what we have here in
-
Philippians from the Apostle Paul, you
-
know, we use some theological terms. So,
-
we know we can talk about doctrine, you
-
know, justification by faith and
-
assurance and, you know, all those great
-
doctrines. We're going to look at those
-
as we progress through this series. But
-
here we have the hypothatic union
-
where you know that I I was in welding
-
in Buck. I went to Bucka Hills
-
and I took a craft I took a class down
-
there for two years on welding. So I
-
know a little bit about welding. Not
-
what I ended up doing but what I thought
-
was the right thing at the time.
-
But when you weld, you have you take you
-
can weld a lot of different metals.
-
But when you weld a metal, you you have
-
to have the right um welding rod for
-
that metal. You can't weld iron with an
-
aluminum
-
rod. And there's all kind of metals. So
-
you got to match up what you're doing.
-
And then when you put that stick in
-
there, put that electricity through that
-
welding rod. You you seen the arc.
-
That's what's happening. There's just a
-
fusion with electricity
-
of that rod with the metal and it just
-
mixes right in metal and just becomes a
-
part of the metal. That's what good
-
welders do. And for me, I guess that's
-
as close as I can come with God becoming
-
a man. He just, you know, he's greater
-
than than men. But he volunteered to do
-
this
-
and he did he did it here.
-
It says of no reputation.
-
So you think well if God's coming to
-
earth he you know he's like everybody
-
else. He'd want a limo and you know you
-
know abandon everything to go with him
-
to announce his arrival. Not at all.
-
That's not Jesus.
-
You know he came to the poor.
-
You know he come to Mary. he come to
-
Joseph,
-
you know, and and he, you know, he had
-
nothing when he left this earth. He
-
lived pretty poor.
-
So that's what this is talking about and
-
no reputation.
-
You know, he he wasn't worried about
-
that at all. Spurgeon said, "I wouldn't
-
walk across the street to pick up my
-
reputation."
-
So
-
you you know Jesus he was that and more
-
he wasn't worried about his reputation
-
no reputation and he took upon him the
-
form and he became a servant you know
-
that's you know it's it's just some
-
occupations out there are just so
-
humbling aren't they you know the guy we
-
went out to the Italian restaurant
-
pastor pastor told me about and we're in
-
there eating and there's a guy in there
-
we were there late and this guy was in
-
there mopping the restaurant down. I was
-
like, "This guy, I don't know where he
-
learned how to mop, but buddy, I'm going
-
to give you the trophy.
-
>> He was such a good a good mopper." But,
-
you know, there's certain jobs and
-
janitors and things like that in our
-
society that we don't look up at those
-
people. We we we look up at the other
-
ones, you know,
-
not Jesus. He didn't worry about that.
-
his his reputation was was a he was a
-
servant.
-
You know, that's what we find him doing
-
when we read the gospels.
-
We find him serving and you know, he his
-
uh humility here
-
goes right along with his subjecting
-
himself to his crucifixion.
-
You know, he uh knew where he was
-
headed. you know, he knew very well
-
where he was headed. The apostles really
-
struggled with that.
-
You know, they they they displayed that
-
when he taught him and he talked to him,
-
but he stayed the course and he said,
-
"You don't understand now, but you'll
-
understand later on."
-
So that's what he did. He laid down
-
himself here and made himself of no
-
reputation and became a servant for the
-
very reason of our redemption.
-
Turn over to Hebrews chapter 5.
Hebrews 5 chapter mention
-
Hebrews chapter 5.
Hebrews 5 chapter mention
-
And the writer of Hebrews gets in this.
-
You know, I don't think Paul might have
-
wrote Hebrews. If he did, look at the
-
details he knows about the crucifixion
-
of Jesus. He wasn't there, but look at
-
the detail.
-
If Paul wrote this,
-
he said, "So also, Christ glorified not
-
himself."
-
I mean, that's what he's saying to the
-
Philippians
-
of no reputation.
-
He didn't worry about his reputation. He
-
was on a mission.
-
He was on a mission for his father to be
-
made a high priest. And remember how all
-
dressed up and decked out the high
-
priest got they they wanted to really
-
stick out. Not Jesus.
-
He was after the the father's will. And
-
that's what it says. You are my son.
-
Today have I begotten thee.
-
So whatever Jesus did the 33 years that
-
he was on this earth, there's a reason
-
he did it.
-
He's a son of God. He's the son of man.
-
And he was begotten.
-
Now, he was not begotten as God.
-
We looked at that. I mean, he's existed
-
for eternity.
-
Now, the Bible clearly is clear on that.
-
But he says here uh he also has another
-
place. You are the priest forever.
-
Jesus is a priest forever. He he doesn't
-
have a you know four-year term or 8year
-
term or even a lifetime term down here
-
on the earth.
-
He's going to last forever. And you you
-
and I better be glad of that. We
-
wouldn't get to heaven without him being
-
our high priest forever
-
because we're still sinners
-
until we get to heaven. And then then
-
the writer says in the days of his
-
flesh. Now that's what we're talking
-
about in Philippians when he was in the
-
likeness of man.
-
That was his flesh. And he offered up
-
prayers and supplications
-
with strong crying and tears.
-
God cried. Yes, God cried.
-
And God prayed.
-
And this was the son to the father.
-
Jesus was in an incredible dilemma.
-
The apostles didn't want him to go to
-
the cross.
-
He didn't listen to them. The devil
-
didn't want him to go to the cross. He
-
didn't listen to them.
-
He went to the cross. He knew what he
-
was supposed to do. And you see that
-
word save? That's that's salvation.
-
That's redemption. That's what he did.
-
He paid for our sins in full.
-
And it says here, "And that he feared."
-
Now, this verse causes some people some
-
problems.
-
But remember what Psalm 22 says
-
that the fear of the Lord is clean.
-
There's nothing wrong with this. Jesus
-
fearing
-
uh his father here as he went to the
-
cross.
-
And though he were a son, he's God.
-
God doesn't learn anything.
-
But here Jesus learned what it was like
-
to be a man
-
by the things in which he suffered. So
-
he, you know, if anyone deserve not to
-
suffer, it would have been Jesus. He
-
never sinned.
-
We're the ones that should suffer. But
-
he suffered.
-
He suffered for us.
-
And being made perfect. How do you
-
perfect God?
-
You can't.
-
But this is what
-
uh Philippians is talking about. These
-
are what some of the verses that Jesus
-
mentioned when he was on the earth were
-
all about where he, you know, where
-
people read it and they say, "Wait a
-
minute. If he's the son of God, he would
-
have said that." But it proves that he
-
is the son of God by what he said.
-
of whom we have many things in verse 11
-
to say
-
that you're dull of hearing. This is the
-
old, you know, this is the old um meat
-
and and milk verse. This is this is the
-
meat
-
that God become a man in the form of a
-
servant in the likeness of man.
-
So, you know, Jesus had certain limits
-
when he was on the earth. And when I say
-
limits, I don't mean limits like God has
-
limits. I mean limits like humans have
-
limits.
-
And that's what this verse in
-
Philippians is talking about. It doesn't
-
mean he was 100% God and and you know
-
90% man. No, he was 100% both.
-
and the when he was a man, he says
-
something or some of these verses as a
-
man
-
um for us to see that he was a man.
-
Turn to Hebrews chapter 4
-
verse 15. That's right right here, right
-
across the page.
-
So now when we go to Jesus, he knows
-
what it was like to be on the earth. He
-
knows what it was like to be a man. He
-
knows what it was like to have his
-
friends die.
-
He knows what it was like to people just
-
to walk away. He knew what people to be
-
possessed by a demon was like.
-
He knows all those things now.
-
That's what he learned as it it says
-
over there in the other verse.
-
And he says here, "Seeing then that we
-
have a great
-
high priest
-
after the order of Melkchisedc forever,
-
forever we have a savior. Forever we
-
have a redeemer. Forever
-
we have a great high priest.
-
Remember the veil was written to from
-
the top to the bottom because of this."
-
And where's he at?
-
He's in heaven
-
now. I know he's everywhere. He's on the
-
present, but he's seated at the right
-
hand of the father. He's waiting for
-
God's enemies to be made his foottool.
-
That's what Psalm 2 says. That's what
-
Psalm 110 says. That's what the Old
-
Testament said. That's what the New
-
Testament says.
-
So there was no time that he, you know,
-
was absent from being God or absent from
-
being a man while he was here on the
-
earth at 33 years. Never one moment.
-
Clear to the end. Clear to the cross.
-
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come out of
-
the grave.
-
But he come out of the grave, didn't he?
-
And we do have now a high priest that
-
can be touched
-
with the feelings of our infirmities.
-
God knows what it's like to be a man.
-
That's Jesus.
-
He was all points tested like we are.
-
He didn't give in. He couldn't sin. He's
-
God. We're the We're the sinners. We're
-
the ones that need a savior. We're the
-
ones that need a redeemer. We're the
-
ones that need an advocate. We're the
-
ones that need a great high priest. And
-
God has graciously given us a free gift
-
and it's Jesus.
-
So, you know, don't don't crack your
-
knuckle knuckles and ring your hands
-
that you can't talk to God or you got to
-
go through a saint or somebody else
-
and go directly to God because of the
-
work of his son. Come boldly to what
-
throne of judgment. That's what we
-
should have. No, we have the throne of
-
grace that we might obtain what the
-
sinners need. Mercy. God has it. And
-
find grace to help in our time of need.
-
God is so compassionate toward his
-
people. Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 8.
2 Corinthians 8 chapter mention
-
2 Corinthians chapter 8
2 Corinthians 8 chapter mention
-
and verse 8.
-
This is sort of similar to what Paul
-
told the Philippians. He tells the
-
Corinthians about giving. We have grace
-
giving. We don't we don't have
-
percentages and tithing and all that.
-
that's been done away. We have something
-
better and greater.
-
And we give
-
because of God's grace.
-
And that's what verse 8 says here. I
-
speak not by commandment.
-
You know, if Paul wanted us to be back
-
under tithing, here's his chance to say
-
get back under tithing. He doesn't. He
-
says the opposite.
-
but by occasion for the earnestness of
-
others,
-
the needs of others. We're not under the
-
law to give. We're we're here to give
-
because of others.
-
People that don't know about Christ,
-
that don't know about this salvation,
-
that don't know he was poor so we could
-
become rich. And and this is an amazing
-
verse. I I read this verse 35 37 years
-
ago whatever it was when I got saved and
-
I have not gotten over this what this
-
verse says. Grace of our Lord God though
-
he was rich yet for your sakes he became
-
poor. There it is that you through his
-
poverty might be made rich.
-
So God has just blessed us as Ephesians
-
1 says with all spiritual blessings in
-
heavenly places and they're in one
-
person. They're in the Lord Jesus
-
Christ. Don't look anywhere else. And
-
there is just an abundance of this
-
available
-
for us because of him. You know what
-
about our ongoing sin problem? I mean
-
that's that's an issue. Some people try
-
to deny it. Oh, I'm not still a sinner.
-
I got saved. I don't sin anymore. You
-
fool.
-
I didn't say that. John said that. You
-
fool. You're lying. God says you're a
-
sinner. Admit it.
-
And uh let's go to Psalm 22.
-
And there there are certain verses in
-
the Old Testament that are just zero in
-
on this. you know, him, you know, being
-
a servant, him not serving himself, him
-
serving the father and doing the
-
father's will and and being the
-
revelation of God and being the
-
redemption of God that he is.
-
And here in Psalm 22,
-
you know, this is about the crucifixion,
-
centuries before it ever happened.
-
We're gonna hopefully someday the Lord
-
carries look at the crucifixion.
-
I mean, it's just just an incredible
-
thing that
-
he subjected himself to this.
-
And here are some of his cries from the
-
cross.
-
But here in verse 10,
-
I was cast upon thee from the womb.
-
You know who is this?
-
Well, this is God. This is Jesus. You
-
know, there we have God talk in the
-
Bible. It's where God talks to God
-
and and we have that in verse one. My
-
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
-
There's God talking to God
-
and asking a question.
-
Well, David thought it was him back
-
then, right? No, it's Jesus. This whole
-
this whole psalm is about him.
-
And he says there in verse 10, I was
-
cast upon thee from the womb.
-
Thou art my God
-
from my mother's belly.
-
This is the son of God. This is the son
-
of man.
-
Who is he depending on?
-
Not the uh Romans, not the Pharisees,
-
not even his apostles.
-
He found remember the coin in the fish's
-
mouth. Jesus depended on no one but his
-
father. That's why he had nothing and
-
made it through without nothing.
-
And here he says from my mother's body.
-
So God is going to come through a woman.
-
God is going to come through a mother to
-
get a body.
-
And and this is Jesus here in the Old
-
Testament. And then what does he do?
-
Turn to Romans chapter 12.
Romans 12 chapter mention
-
Romans
Romans 12 chapter mention
-
chapter 12.
-
In verse 16,
-
here's where Paul tells us to present
-
our bodies a living sacrifice,
-
acceptable and perfect will of God.
-
That's what we do. You know, we're not
-
here to
-
we're not here to to build a
-
infrastructure
-
for everyone on the earth. No, we're
-
here to build a kingdom for Jesus that's
-
going to be forever and eternal. The
-
Bible says one soul is worth the whole
-
world.
-
Well, whoever you think, Amazon, Apple,
-
whatever great company you think's out
-
there is not worth one soul.
-
We need those guys, by the way. But
-
we're here for souls.
-
We're the church.
-
And we submit ourselves to God. We don't
-
want to be, you know, we run from this
-
world. We don't, you know, I go on
-
vacation and I I get a little taste of
-
it every week like you guys do where you
-
run back here and say, "God's right.
-
God's right."
-
Don't be uh conformed to this world, but
-
be transformed.
-
So remember that mind God gave us. We
-
don't we don't use our old fleshly mind.
-
We have something much better. we have
-
the mind of Christ and and prove what is
-
good. God wants us to prove what is
-
good. That's why the righteousness of
-
Jesus is so important.
-
So we see him being good. We know he's
-
good. We know he's God. We know he he's
-
love and mercy and grace and he loved
-
his enemies and all those great things.
-
We need to be the same.
-
And the only way we can do that is is
-
with the word and with the new birth.
-
And Paul lists a lot of things down
-
through here the church ought to be
-
doing. I'm not going to read them all,
-
but go to verse 16.
-
Paul was talking about our mind in verse
-
two. Now he's talking about our mind in
-
verse 16.
-
Be of the same mind one toward another.
-
There aren't two two groups in the
-
church.
-
You got to be saved to be in the church.
-
You got to be saved to be in the body of
-
Christ. That's what the new birth is.
-
Jesus said, "Except a man be born again,
-
he cannot see the kingdom of God."
-
But those of us who have been born
-
again, we can see a kingdom. We can see
-
a king. We can see a Lord.
-
We can see a teacher.
-
We can see a redeemer. We can see our
-
advocate. All those things that Jesus is
-
no one greater than him
-
and he come to earth and became poor
-
and lived in poverty to do his father's
-
will.
-
That's the mind we should have.
-
Mind not high things
-
but condes and condescend. There's our
-
word. That's what Jesus did. He
-
condescended to earth. He condescended
-
to sinners,
-
to men of low estate. You can't get much
-
lower than being a sinner.
-
Be not wise in your own conceit. So
-
that's what the church should be about
-
are these things. Now turn back to
-
Philippians chapter 2 where we started.
Philippians 2 chapter mention
-
And the Old Testament predicted Jesus
-
would be a servant. I mean, that's one
-
thing that the Jews,
-
you know, really missed on.
-
Nobody expects God to be a servant.
-
That's still the popular thing out
-
there.
-
No one expects God to be a servant. No
-
one expects God to come and pay for our
-
sin. This isn't man's idea. It's God's
-
idea. And that's what he says here in
-
verse 7. Being made of no reputation,
-
took upon him the form of a servant.
-
There it is.
-
Don't be shocked that your savior is a
-
servant. Let him wash your feet, your
-
old filthy feet.
-
Let him do it. Let him do it on the
-
inside with his word. And that's what
-
Jesus said he would do. He would send
-
his word to wash us on the inside and
-
wash us on the outside.
-
That's what we need. And he has made
-
that provision.
-
You know, Jesus, he's just the messenger
-
to end all messages and and messengers.
-
I mean, that's what Hebrews says. When
-
you compare the Old Testament, we need
-
the Old Testament. Don't throw it away.
-
It's so important. But Hebrews says, you
-
know, those were the those were the the
-
minor prophets.
-
Jesus is the major prophet.
-
That was the minor message. Jesus is the
-
major message.
-
And that's what he said in John 17. He
-
came to do his father's will. He he
-
finished and and uh perfected what the
-
father wanted to do.
-
What's it say in Revelation?
-
I'll mention this one. Revelation 1911.
-
He that sat on the horse.
-
John says, "Faithful and true in
-
righteousness make war and judge."
-
That's what this world needs.
-
Needs the Lord to come back. It's not
-
going to get any better.
-
In fact, it's getting progressively
-
worse.
-
But rest assured, we have a savior in
-
heaven who is faithful and true in
-
righteousness. He's going to make war
-
and judge.
-
And the reason being is because, you
-
know, he he did everything perfectly.
-
He's earned the right,
-
you know, as a man, as the god man to
-
rule and reign over um this universe.
-
And one man said, "How great is this
-
revelation and how great is this
-
redemption?"
-
Well, it's great, isn't it? That's why
-
we're here. We're here to worship and to
-
praise and to pray to this one who is
-
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I
-
see those signs around. People have good
-
intentions. It says Jesus is King. Well,
-
they're a little short. He's the King of
-
Kings.
-
Turn to John chapter 3.
John 3 chapter mention
-
This this is so sealed.
-
You know, that's what it says, what
-
Revelation says. It's sealed. Count on
-
it. Everything in this book is going to
-
happen. And here in John chapter 3
John 3 chapter mention
-
and verse three,
-
I'll get there eventually.
-
John chapter 3 and verse
John 3 chapter mention
-
13.
-
You know, that was a great thing about
-
Jesus. That's why they said no one ever
-
spoke like this man. You know, he he
-
knew things they didn't know.
-
even with the Old Testament. I mean,
-
he's he's greater
-
far greater
-
than the prophets, far greater than the
-
prophecies. The Savior is far greater.
-
God is far greater.
-
And that's what Jesus says here. If I
-
told you earthly things and you believe
-
not, you know, they Jesus, can you give
-
us the lottery numbers for tonight's
-
lottery?
-
Could he have done that? easily.
-
He didn't.
-
He's here for a far greater reason.
-
But he that came down from heaven, even
-
the son of man who is in heaven here,
-
he's the he's the son of God and the son
-
of man. It's, you know, don't short
-
change him,
-
you know, about these things. Now, look
-
over in chapter 2
-
in verse 24. I thought of this, too.
-
remember when this happened? Um it was
-
about the temple and they were a little
-
upset and that was the other thing that
-
you know they couldn't take hold of him
-
until
-
he was ready.
-
So there was a there is a holding back.
-
Jesus could hold back things
-
and he could let things go.
-
And here he he just uh now when he was
-
in Jerusalem at the Passover,
-
the feast of many days, many believed in
-
his name when they saw the miracles,
-
which he did. See, that's the problem
-
with believing in miracles and not
-
believing in Jesus. The people did it
-
who actually saw the real miracles.
-
And Jesus, he did not commit himself to
-
them because he's omnipresent.
-
He knew they weren't going anywhere.
-
They were just there for the get their
-
bellies full and see the see the uh
-
miracles.
-
And need not that any should testify of
-
man. He knew what was in man. Every
-
person that Jesus talked to, he knew
-
everything about him.
-
And that just astounded the woman at the
-
well remembered, he said, "You must be
-
God."
-
And Jesus said, "If you knew the gift
-
and and me who can give this gift to
-
you,
-
you would receive it." Look in John
-
chapter 5, verse 19. We're hitting a few
-
of these in John chapter 5
John 5 chapter mention
-
and verse 19.
-
Then said Jesus unto them, "Verily,
-
verily, I say unto you, the Son can do
-
nothing of himself."
-
Here's that servant. Here's that of no
-
reputation.
-
Here's that man's side of him submitting
-
to his father.
-
But what he see the father do,
-
whatever things he he does, these things
-
the son will do in the same manner. See,
-
some people try to use that verse to say
-
Jesus isn't God. Well, no. I'm sorry.
-
You got it all wrong. That verse says
-
Jesus is God.
-
He's the son of the father. He's the son
-
of God. He's the son of man
-
and he's equal to his father.
-
So there were times that in his humanity
-
he denied himself for his father and for
-
his father's will. Turn to Matthew 26.
-
Matthew chapter 26
Matthew 26 chapter mention
-
and verse
-
63.
-
2663.
-
Now this is remember he was
-
I don't know how he did it.
-
He got spit on. He had a a crown of
-
thorns put on his head. He was dripping
-
great drops of blood. He went through
-
incredible suffering
-
for us.
-
to pay for our sins.
-
And that's what we have here in chapter
-
26 and verse 63. Jesus
-
held his peace.
-
Aren't you glad?
-
He held his peace.
-
And the high priest answered and said
-
unto him, I adjure thee by the living
-
God. Come on, Jesus. You know, we can't
-
believe you. Why don't you swear on God?
-
And they're talking to to God. This is
-
how they're treating God
-
that you will tell us whether you be the
-
Christ, the son of God.
-
It's a sham because he's already told
-
him that on numerous occasions. But here
-
we see him holding his peace
-
as a man. He could have just
-
unleashed everything on them and they'd
-
all be in hell and so would we.
-
But he didn't.
-
He suffered these things that
-
Philippians is telling us about for a
-
reason.
-
Now look over in um chapter 26
-
and verse 53.
-
out of this one.
-
He says
-
this is when
-
poor old Peter about committed murder as
-
Jesus is going to the cross. That that's
-
a you know that's a good example of us.
-
That's what we can do. We can murder
-
people that are trying to get to Jesus
-
and hear Jesus.
-
But Jesus made it all well.
-
He's the son of God.
-
But notice what he says here in verse 30
-
53.
-
What you thinking, Peter?
-
Think about this.
-
That I cannot now pray to my father.
-
Here he is subjecting to the father.
-
And he will presently give me more
-
than 12 legions of angels.
-
But how then shall the scriptures be
-
fulfilled that this must be? So here we
-
see the son of God submitting himself to
-
the father's will for a reason
-
and it's our redemption to go to the
-
cross to have that crown of thorns put
-
on his head
-
and to have his own own disciples his
-
own apostles deny him and flee.
-
He died alone
-
just as the scripture said.
-
So, you know, we can look at creation
-
and that's not God. I love creation,
-
but that's pantheism.
-
You know, God God is somehow in the
-
universe. And when we look at the
-
universe, we see God. That's pantheism.
-
That's not what God is. He's above his
-
creation,
-
but we can see him in his creation,
-
can't we? You know, wow, what what a
-
mighty God we have.
-
But when we look at man, there's no one
-
we can look at and find God in a man
-
except Jesus.
-
Turn to First John chapter 3.
1 John 3 chapter mention
-
So if you're looking for God,
-
take a long hard look at Jesus and there
-
you will find him. First John chapter 3.
1 John 3 chapter mention
-
So we're, you know, now we're waiting on
-
this man to come back.
-
You know, he's not a spirit up there in
-
heaven, you know, you know, not being
-
seen or recognized or known. No, he's
-
went back to heaven where he's
-
recognized and known for what he did on
-
this earth
-
and he went through a change.
-
He can't come back and reverse
-
everything.
-
Now he is who he is. And that's what the
-
book of Revelation breaks forth with.
-
But in first John chapter 3,
1 John 3 chapter mention
-
what manner of love verse one the father
-
has bestowed upon us? How do God the
-
father bestow his love on us? Through
-
his son that we just spoke about
-
in his word.
-
So this revelation and this redemption
-
can be found in the same person.
-
But the point here is
-
that we are
-
God wants us to be righteous like him.
-
God wants us to be righteous like his
-
son. Not not selfrighteous. That's
-
wrong. But righteous like his son
-
for a reason.
-
Because someday we're going to be
-
without sin.
-
No flesh will be gone forever.
-
Jesus has glorified
-
flesh in heaven.
-
And here we see uh now we know the
-
children of God. It does not yet appear
-
what we shall be. So, as we start
-
talking about us leaving this life and
-
going on to the next one, what are we
-
going to just be dead in the ground and
-
go back to the dust and cease to exist?
-
Nope. Not at all. Now we have hope. Now
-
we have redemption. Now we have this
-
revelation. Now God has become our
-
father and we're children of God.
-
There's nothing like being a child of
-
God. Nothing like it.
-
He's a good God. He's a great God. He's
-
a good father. In fact, we call him
-
father.
-
Verse three. And every man that has this
-
hope. What hope? My hope rests in Jesus.
-
My hope rests in the son of man and in
-
the son of God. Nowhere else
-
except in him.
-
And then this says, I should be
-
purifying myself as he is pure. So a
-
great change has to happen before we go
-
to heaven. Paul says the flesh and blood
-
will not inherit heaven. You know, we
-
need to change. We need this
-
transformation. We need this uh new
-
glorified body that we're going to come
-
out of the grave with when he returns.
-
He's done it all.
-
Rest assured that you can trust him as
-
your Lord and your Savior and your
-
Redeemer and even our the revelation of
-
the word of God. He's it. We don't need
-
anything else but him. Let's pray.
-
Father, we thank you for your son
-
and we're amazed at your love. We're
-
amazed at your grace. We're amazed at
-
your mercy upon us sinners.
-
And that's just what it is, Father. It's
-
your love.
-
We thank you for it.
-
And we do know your love through Christ.
-
We do know that you love us through him
-
and in him. You'll never leave us nor
-
forsake us because of him. So, Father,
-
we give thanks for this great and
-
precious gift of your son and we pray in
-
his name. Amen.
-
I see you.
-
>> Morning Martha.
-
>> Good morning.
-
>> How are you?
-
>> As we go from this place
-
you more, trusting you more.
-
May the power of your love and the light
-
of your word shine well to a sin
-
darkened world as we go from this